The effects of sensory processing and behavior of toddlers on parent participation: A pilot study

The growing number of hyperactive children in our practices has caused many of us to look about for alternatives to medication therapy. Our recent experience in one such technique prompts this letter. We hypothesize that hyperactivity may make its first appearance in the toddler or preschool child, but is detectable from early infancy. The tense, colicky, hypertonic infant seems to be the infantile precursor to the hyperactive older child. We consider that both are the result of a chronic state of arousal manifested in these children as increased activity level and muscular tension and later by frantic limit testing at home and behavior and learning problems at school.

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Pregnancy Changes the Response of the Vomeronasal and Olfactory Systems to Pups in Mice

Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fncel.2020.593309 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

Author(s):

Cinta Navarro-Moreno ◽

Maria Jose Sanchez-Catalan ◽

Manuela Barneo-Muñoz ◽

Rafael Goterris-Cerisuelo ◽

Maria Belles ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sensory Processing ◽

Piriform Cortex ◽

Vomeronasal Organ ◽

Late Pregnancy ◽

Bed Nucleus ◽

Pregnant Females ◽

Pup Retrieval ◽

Olfactory Systems ◽

And Behavior ◽

Pregnancy Hormones

Motherhood entails changes in behavior with increased motivation for pups, induced in part by pregnancy hormones acting upon the brain. This work explores whether this alters sensory processing of pup-derived chemosignals. To do so, we analyse the expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) in the vomeronasal organ (VNO; Egr1) and centers of the olfactory and vomeronasal brain pathways (cFos) in virgin and late-pregnant females exposed to pups, as compared to buttons (socially neutral control). In pup-exposed females, we quantified diverse behaviors including pup retrieval, sniffing, pup-directed attack, nest building and time in nest or on nest, as well as time off nest. Pups induce Egr1 expression in the VNO of females, irrespective of their physiological condition, thus suggesting the existence of VNO-detected pup chemosignals. A similar situation is found in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) and posteromedial part of the medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTMPM). By contrast, in the medial amygdala and posteromedial cortical amygdala (PMCo), responses to pups-vs-buttons are different in virgin and late-pregnant females, thus suggesting altered sensory processing during late pregnancy. The olfactory system also shows changes in sensory processing with pregnancy. In the main olfactory bulbs, as well as the anterior and posterior piriform cortex, buttons activate cFos expression in virgins more than in pregnant females. By contrast, in the anterior and especially posterior piriform cortex, pregnant females show more activation by pups than buttons. Correlation between IEGs expression and behavior suggests the existence of two vomeronasal subsystems: one associated to pup care (with PMCo as its main center) and another related to pup-directed aggression observed in some pregnant females (with the BSTMPM as the main nucleus). Our data also suggest a coactivation of the olfactory and vomeronasal systems during interaction with pups in pregnant females.

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Physiological and Emotional Responses of Disabled Children to Therapeutic Clowns: A Pilot Study

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1093/ecam/neq008 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Shauna Kingsnorth ◽

Stefanie Blain ◽

Patricia McKeever

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Facial Expressions ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Physiological Arousal ◽

Single Subject ◽

Disabled Children ◽

Healthcare Settings ◽

Television Exposure ◽

And Behavior

This pilot study examined the effects of Therapeutic Clowning on inpatients in a pediatric rehabilitation hospital. Ten disabled children with varied physical and verbal expressive abilities participated in all or portions of the data collection protocol. Employing a mixed-method, single-subject ABAB study design, measures of physiological arousal, emotion and behavior were obtained from eight children under two conditions—television exposure and therapeutic clown interventions. Four peripheral autonomic nervous system (ANS) signals were recorded as measures of physiological arousal; these signals were analyzed with respect to measures of emotion (verbal self reports of mood) and behavior (facial expressions and vocalizations). Semistructured interviews were completed with verbally expressive children (n= 7) and nurses of participating children (n= 13). Significant differences among children were found in response to the clown intervention relative to television exposure. Physiologically, changes in ANS signals occurred either more frequently or in different patterns. Emotionally, children's (self) and nurses' (observed) reports of mood were elevated positively. Behaviorally, children exhibited more positive and fewer negative facial expressions and vocalizations of emotion during the clown intervention. Content and themes extracted from the interviews corroborated these findings. The results suggest that this popular psychosocial intervention has a direct and positive impact on hospitalized children. This pilot study contributes to the current understanding of the importance of alternative approaches in promoting well-being within healthcare settings.

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A Pilot Study of Self-Regulation and Behavior Problems in Preschoolers with ASD: Parent Broader Autism Phenotype Traits Relate to Child Emotion Regulation and Inhibitory Control

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders ◽

10.1007/s10803-021-05322-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth A. DeLucia ◽

Madeline P. McKenna ◽

Theresa M. Andrzejewski ◽

Kristin Valentino ◽

Christina G. McDonnell

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Behavior Problems ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Broader Autism Phenotype ◽

And Behavior ◽

Autism Phenotype

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Associations Between Environmental Conditions and Executive Cognitive Functioning and Behavior During Late Childhood: A Pilot Study

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01263 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Diana H. Fishbein ◽

Larry Michael ◽

Charles Guthrie ◽

Christine Carr ◽

James Raymer

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Late Childhood ◽

Executive Cognitive Functioning ◽

And Behavior

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Delirium, caused by suspending treatment of hypothyroidism

Mental Illness ◽

10.1108/mi.2016.6787 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 33-34

Author(s):

Alejandro Hernández-Sandí ◽

David Quirós-Baltodano ◽

Michelle Oconitrillo-Chaves

Keyword(s):

Sensory Processing ◽

Language Impairment ◽

High Rate ◽

Medical Specialties ◽

Root Cause ◽

Multiple Factors ◽

Short Period ◽

Abrupt Discontinuation ◽

And Behavior ◽

Levothyroxine Treatment

Delirium, or acute confusional syndrome, is a set of symptoms whose care involves not only psychiatry, but also many other medical specialties. Being as how the syndrome is caused by multiple factors, it is important to recognize each risk factor affecting the patient in order to anticipate and prevent it. In case of diagnosis, identifying and treating the root cause that triggered is important, given that it has a high rate of comorbidity and an elevated cost of medical care. We describe a case where a patient with hypothyroidism began suffering from delirium due to an abrupt discontinuation of levothyroxine treatment. Previously, the patient was seemingly healthy. After the medical treatment was interrupted, sensory processing and behavior were altered, and symptoms fluctuated, for a short period of time, showing disorientation and memory and language impairment.

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